Manager’s decision: Joel Hanrahan to close

Author(s):

John Tomase

Red Sox Notebook

John Farrell is wasting no time bringing order to the Red Sox.

On the same day the team acquired Joel Hanrahan from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the new manager informed Hanrahan’s fellow two-time All-Star closer Andrew Bailey that he will enter spring training as a set-up man.

The decision was more about what Hanrahan does well than anything Bailey has done poorly, and Farrell felt it important to be up front with both players from the get-go.

“(Hanrahan’s) performance pretty much speaks for itself,” Farrell said. “This is a multi-year All-Star closer. We went into the offseason with the goal of improving the team however we could. We didn’t go in precisely looking to add a closer, but the Hanrahan addition to a strong bullpen makes it that much stronger as we stand here today.”

Farrell said Bailey took the news “like a pro,” and added that he still sees an important role for the reliever, whose 2012 season basically ended before it started thanks to a spring training injury suffered against Hanrahan’s Pirates.

“In speaking with Andrew, we communicated this to him before the deal was made, and he was aware of our approach,” Farrell said. “He’ll pitch meaningful innings and have an important role late in the game, as will (Koji) Uehara, (Junichi) Tazawa, (Alfredo) Aceves. This is a deep and talented group, and it just got deeper and more talented.”

If Hanrahan has one factor going for him as a closer, it’s not so much his stuff (98 mph fastball, devastating slider) as the ability to strike hitters out. He owns a lifetime strikeout rate of 9.9 per nine innings, which is a full strikeout better than Bailey’s 8.9.

Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2008, Hanrahan’s strikeout rate is at 10.2.

“It’s probably more strikeout rate than how they do it,” Farrell said when asked if Hanrahan’s power arsenal appealed to him in the AL East. “Less balls put in play late in a game is a good thing for all of us.”

Add it all up, and Farrell saw only positives in sorting out the back of his bullpen quickly.

“The main thing is when we get to the latter part of spring training and the start of the season, having roles clearly defined is important for guys in the pen, so they can understand how we’ll bridge from a starter to the end of the game,” Farrell said. “Knowing those roles, not to overstate (its significance), but I think it’s important to have some understanding of when they’re going to be used in the latter part of a game.”

Old No. 7 for Drew

The Red Sox made the signing of free agent shortstop Stephen Drew to a one-year, $9.5 million deal official. He will wear the No. 7 sported by his brother, J.D. Drew, with the Sox for five years.

The Red Sox are satisfied that the bad ankle break he suffered at home plate two years ago is a thing of the past.

“He was one of the better everyday shortstops in baseball for quite a stretch there and then he had the really bad ankle fracture that he suffered in 2011 and it took him the full year to get back out playing, which is understandable, it’s a really, really difficult injury,” assistant general manager Brian O’Halloran said. “But he played well down the stretch and he also helped out Oakland in their stretch drive into the playoffs after the trade.

“We brought him in for a physical exam and our folks were very pleased with his progress and it’s obvious to them how hard he had worked given the nature of that injury, how hard he had worked to strengthen it. We feel that he’s going to be fully healthy for us and is going to make us a better team.” . . .

Middle infield prospect Brock Holt, 24, also came over in the Hanrahan trade.

“He’s a very hard-nosed player, type of guy that he’s had a lot of success in the minor leagues and in a brief call-up in September for Pittsburgh,” O’Halloran said. “He’s got a line-drive stroke and we think he’ll be a good addition to our middle infield core.”

Nothing on Napoli

O’Halloran said there is nothing to report on negotiations with Mike Napoli. The first baseman/catcher’s three-year, $39 million free agent contract has been on hold since his physical reportedly revealed hip issues.